Erik Beever, Ph.D.
Erik is interested in questions at the nexus of basic and applied science, especially those that also inform management and conservation efforts for species, communities, and ecosystems.
Research Interest
Dr. Erik Beever has published over 100 articles in diverse scientific journals and in numerous subdisciplines of biology. He has performed field research on plants, soils, amphibians, birds, reptiles, fishes, and insects, as well as small, medium, and large mammals. His work has spanned salt-scrub, sagebrush-steppe, alpine, subalpine, subarctic, riparian, primary and secondary temperate and tropical forest, and coastal ecosystems of the western hemisphere. In addition to seeking to understand mechanisms of biotic responses to long-term weather patterns and variability, he has also focused on disturbance ecology and monitoring in conservation reserves, all at community to landscape scales, as well as other topics of conservation ecology, wildlife biology, and landscape ecology. He is a member of the IUCN Protected Areas Specialist Group, the IUCN Lagomorph Specialist Group, as well as The Wildlife Society, Society for Conservation Biology, American Society of Mammalogists, and Sigma Xi.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1999. University of Nevada, Reno. Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology
B.S. 1993. University of California, Davis. Biological Sciences
Science and Products
Plastic pikas: Behavioural flexibility in low-elevation pikas (Ochotona princeps)
Too hot to trot? evaluating the effects of wildfire on patterns of occupancy and abundance for a climate-sensitive habitat-specialist
Improving conservation outcomes with a new paradigm for understanding species’ fundamental and realized adaptive capacity
Assessing the components of adaptive capacity to improve conservation and management efforts under global change
Long-term plant responses to climate are moderated by biophysical attributes in a North American desert
Facing a changing world: Thermal physiology of American pikas (Ochotona princeps)
Successes and challenges from formation to implementation of eleven broad-extent conservation programs
Understanding relationships among abundance, extirpation, and climate at ecoregional scales
Playing by new rules: altered climates are affecting some pikas dramatically and rapidly
Conservation of greater sage-grouse- a synthesis of current trends and future management
Ecoregional-scale monitoring within conservation areas, in a rapidly changing climate
Conceptual ecological models to support detection of ecological change on Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
Non-USGS Publications**
horse grazing and other management practices. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nevada, Reno.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 71
Plastic pikas: Behavioural flexibility in low-elevation pikas (Ochotona princeps)
Behaviour is an important mechanism for accommodating rapid environmental changes. Understanding a species’ capacity for behavioural plasticity is therefore a key, but understudied, aspect of developing tractable conservation and management plans under climate-change scenarios. Here, we quantified behavioural differences between American pikas (Ochotona princeps) living in an atypical, low-elevatiAuthorsJohanna Varner, Joshua J. Horns, Mallory S. Lambert, Elizabeth Westberg, James Ruff, Katelyn Wolfenberger, Erik A. Beever, M. Denise DearingToo hot to trot? evaluating the effects of wildfire on patterns of occupancy and abundance for a climate-sensitive habitat-specialist
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity as a result of climate change in many ecosystems; however, effects of altered disturbance regimes on wildlife remain poorly quantified. Here, we leverage an unexpected opportunity to investigate how fire affects the occupancy and abundance of a climate-sensitive habitat specialist, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). We determine the effects ofAuthorsJohanna Varner, Mallory S. Lambert, Joshua J. Horns, Sean Laverty, Laurie Dizney, Erik A. Beever, M. Denise DearingImproving conservation outcomes with a new paradigm for understanding species’ fundamental and realized adaptive capacity
Worldwide, many species are responding to ongoing climate change with shifts in distribution, abundance, phenology, or behavior. Consequently, natural-resource managers face increasingly urgent conservation questions related to biodiversity loss, expansion of invasive species, and deteriorating ecosystem services. We argue that our ability to address these questions is hampered by the lack of explAuthorsErik A. Beever, John O’Leary, Claudia Mengelt, Jordan M. West, Susan Julius, Nancy Green, Dawn Magness, Laura E. Petes, Bruce A. Stein, Adrienne B Nicotra, Jessica J Hellmann, Amanda L Robertson, Michelle D. Staudinger, Andrew A. Rosenberg, Eleanora Babij, Jean Brennan, Gregor W. Schuurman, Gretchen E HofmannAssessing the components of adaptive capacity to improve conservation and management efforts under global change
Natural-resource managers and other conservation practitioners are under unprecedented pressure to categorize and quantify the vulnerability of natural systems based on assessment of the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of species to climate change. Despite the urgent need for these assessments, neither the theoretical basis of adaptive capacity nor the practical issues underlying itsAuthorsAdrienne Nicotra, Erik A. Beever, Amanda Robertson, Gretchen Hofmann, John O’LearyLong-term plant responses to climate are moderated by biophysical attributes in a North American desert
Recent elevated temperatures and prolonged droughts in many already water-limited regions throughout the world, including the southwestern U.S., are likely to intensify according to future climate-model projections. This warming and drying can negatively affect perennial vegetation and lead to the degradation of ecosystem properties. To better understand these detrimental effects, we formulate aAuthorsSeth M. Munson, Robert H. Webb, David C. Housman, Kari E. Veblen, Kenneth E. Nussear, Erik A. Beever, Kristine B. Hartney, Maria N. Miriti, Susan L. Phillips, Robert E. Fulton, Nita G. TallentFacing a changing world: Thermal physiology of American pikas (Ochotona princeps)
American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are of concern with respect to warming montane temperatures; however, little information exists regarding their physiological ability to adapt to warming temperatures. Previous studies have shown that pikas have high metabolism and low thermal conductance, which allow survival during cold winters. It has been hypothesized that these characteristics may be detrimeAuthorsHans W Otto, James A Wilson, Erik A. BeeverSuccesses and challenges from formation to implementation of eleven broad-extent conservation programs
Integration of conservation partnerships across geographic, biological, and administrative boundaries is increasingly relevant because drivers of change, such as climate shifts, transcend these boundaries. We explored successes and challenges of established conservation programs that span multiple watersheds and consider both social and ecological concerns. We asked representatives from a diverseAuthorsErik A. Beever, John B. Bradford, Matthew J. Germino, Brady J. Mattsson, Max Post van der Burg, Mark BrunsonUnderstanding relationships among abundance, extirpation, and climate at ecoregional scales
Recent research on mountain-dwelling species has illustrated changes in species’ distributional patterns in response to climate change. Abundance of a species will likely provide an earlier warning indicator of change than will occupancy, yet relationships between abundance and climatic factors have received less attention. We tested whether predictors of counts of American pikas (Ochotona princepAuthorsErik A. Beever, A. Mysnberge, J. Long, Solomon Dubrowski, N. B. PiekielekPlaying by new rules: altered climates are affecting some pikas dramatically and rapidly
No abstract available.AuthorsErik A. Beever, Jennifer L. WilkeningConservation of greater sage-grouse- a synthesis of current trends and future management
Recent analyses of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations indicate substantial declines in many areas but relatively stable populations in other portions of the species? range. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats neces-sary to support sage-grouse are being burned by large wildfires, invaded by nonnative plants, and developed for energy resources (gas, oil, and wind). ManagemenAuthorsJohn W. Connelly, Steven T. Knick, Clait E. Braun, William L. Baker, Erik A. Beever, Thomas J. Christiansen, Kevin E. Doherty, Edward O. Garton, Christian A. Hagen, Steven E. Hanser, Douglas H. Johnson, Matthias Leu, Richard F. Miller, David E. Naugle, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, David A. Pyke, Kerry P. Reese, Michael A. Schroeder, San J. Stiver, Brett L. Walker, Michael J. WisdornEcoregional-scale monitoring within conservation areas, in a rapidly changing climate
Long-term monitoring of ecological systems can prove invaluable for resource management and conservation. Such monitoring can: (1) detect instances of long-term trend (either improvement or deterioration) in monitored resources, thus providing an early-warning indication of system change to resource managers; (2) inform management decisions and help assess the effects of management actions, as welAuthorsErik A. Beever, Andrea WoodwardConceptual ecological models to support detection of ecological change on Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
More than 31 million hectares of land are protected and managed in 16 refuges by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Alaska. The vastness and isolation of Alaskan refuges give rise to relatively intact and complete ecosystems. The potential for these lands to provide habitat for trust species is likely to be altered, however, due to global climate change, which is having dramatic effectsAuthorsAndrea Woodward, Erik A. BeeverNon-USGS Publications**
G.S. Casper, E. Beever, U. Gafvert, and S.M. Nadeau. 2018. Amphibian Monitoring Protocol (Version 2.0). Natural Resource Report NPS/GLKN/NRR—2018/1761. National Park Service, Great Lakes Inventory & Monitoring Network, Ashland, WI.S.K. Windels, Beever, E.A., J. Paruk, A. Nelson, L. Siegel, D. Evers, and C.C. MacNulty. 2013. Effects of water-level management on nesting success of common loons. Journal of Wildlife Management 77(8):1626-1638.Beever, E.A. 1999. Species- and community-level responses to disturbance imposed by feral
horse grazing and other management practices. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nevada, Reno.
Beever, E.A. and P.F. Brussard. 2000. Charismatic megafauna or exotic pest? Interactions between popular perceptions of feral horses (Equus caballus) and their management and research. Pages 413-418 In: T.P. Salmon and A.C. Crabb, editors. Proceedings of the 19th International Vertebrate Pest Conference, University of California, DavisDunham, J. B., B. R. Dickerson, E. Beever, R. D. Duncan, and G. L. Vinyard. 2000. Effects of food limitation and emigration on self-thinning in experimental minnow cohorts. Journal of Animal Ecology 69(6):927-934.Beever, E.A. and P.F. Brussard. 2000. Examining ecological consequences of feral horse grazing using exclosures. Western North American Naturalist 60(3):236-254.
Beever, E.A. 2000. The roles of optimism in conservation biology. Conservation Biology 14(3):907-909.Beever, E.A. and D.A. Pyke. 2002. Research plan for lands administered by the U.S. Department of Interior in the Interior Columbia Basin & Snake River Plateau. U.S. Geological Survey, Information and Technology Report 2002-003. 76 p.Beever, E.A. 2002. Persistence of pikas in two low-elevation national monuments in the western United States. Park Science 21(2):23-29.Beever, E.A., P.F. Brussard, and J. Berger. 2003. Patterns of extirpation among isolated populations of pikas (Ochotona princeps) in the Great Basin. Journal of Mammalogy 84(1):37-54.Haig, S.M, E.A. Beever, et al. 2006. Taxonomy and listing of subspecies under the U.S. ESA: challenges for conservation and policy implementation. Conservation Biology 20(6):1584-1594Bowen, K.D., S.D. McMahon, and E.A. Beever. 2007. Geographic distribution. Elaphe vulpina (Western Foxsnake). Herpetological Review 38(4):486Johnson, S.E., E.L. Mudrak, E.A. Beever, S. Sanders, and D.M. Waller. 2008. Comparing power among three sampling methods for monitoring forest vegetation. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38:143-156.Beever, E.A., R.J. Tausch, and W.E. Thogmartin. 2008. Landscape- and local-scale responses of vegetation to removal of horse grazing from Great Basin (U.S.A.) mountain ranges. Plant Ecology 196(2):163-184.Beever, E.A., and A.T. Smith. 2008. Ochotona princeps. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4Bowen, K.D., E.A. Beever, and U.B. Gafvert. 2009. Improving the design of amphibian surveys using soil data: a case study in two wilderness areas. Natural Areas Journal 29(2):117-125.Beever, E.A. 2009. Ecological silence of the grasslands, forests, wetlands, mountains, and seas. Conservation Biology 23(5):1320-1322.Beever, E.A., C. Ray, P.W. Mote, and J.L. Wilkening. 2010. Testing alternative models of climate-mediated extirpations. Ecological Applications 20(1):164-178.Bowen, K.B., and E.A. Beever. 2010. Daytime amphibian surveys at three National Lakeshores in the Western Great Lakes ecoregion. Reptiles & Amphibians 17(1):26-35.Rodhouse, T.J., E.A. Beever, L.K. Garrett, K.M. Irvine, M. Munts, C. Ray, and M.R. Shardlow. 2010. Distribution of American pikas in a low-elevation lava landscape: conservation implications from the range periphery. Journal of Mammalogy 91(5):1287-1299.Bowen, K.B., and E.A. Beever. 2010. Pilot amphibian monitoring at Apostle Islands, Pictured Rocks, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores: analysis and recommendations. NPS Natural Resource Report NPS/GLKN/NRTR–2010/360. ix + 49 pp.Wilkening, J.L., C. Ray, E.A. Beever, and P.F. Brussard. 2011. Modeling contemporary range retraction in Great Basin pikas (Ochotona princeps) using data on microclimate and microhabitat. Quaternary International 235:77-88.Beever, E.A., C. Ray, J.L. Wilkening, P.F. Brussard, and P.W. Mote. 2011. Contemporary climate change alters the pace and drivers of extinction. Global Change Biology 17(6):2054-2070Beever, E.A., and C.L. Aldridge. 2011. Influences of free-roaming equids on sagebrush ecosystems, with a focus on Greater Sage-grouse. INVITED article, Studies in Avian Biology 38:273-290.Belant, J., and Beever, E.A. 2011. Ecological consequences of climate change: Introduction. In: Ecological consequences of climate change: mechanisms, conservation, and management. CRC Press (Taylor and Francis Group).Beever, E.A., and J. Belant. 2011. Ecological consequences of climate change: synthesis and research needs. Pages 285-294 In: Ecological consequences of climate change: mechanisms, conservation, and management. CRC Press (Taylor and Francis Group).Beever, E.A., and J. Belant, Editors. 2011. Ecological consequences of climate change: mechanisms, conservation, and management. CRC Press (Taylor and Francis Group). xix + 314 pp.Beever, E.A., C. Ray, J.L. Wilkening, P.W. Mote, and P.F. Brussard. 2011. Landscape-scale conservation and management of montane wildlife: contemporary climate may be changing the rules. Intermountain Journal of Science 17(1-4):41-42.Beever, E.A., and A.T. Smith. 2011. Ochotona princeps. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2.Calkins, M.T., E.A. Beever, K.G. Boykin, J.K. Frey, and M.C. Andersen. 2012. Not-so-splendid isolation: modeling climate-mediated range collapse of a montane mammal (Ochotona princeps) across numerous ecoregions. Ecography 35(9):780-791.Ray, C., E.A. Beever, and S. Loarie. 2012. Retreat of the American pika: up the mountain or into the void? Invited chapter (pages 245-270) in : Brodie, J.F., E. Post, and D.F. Doak, editors, Wildlife conservation in a changing climate. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- News